Keir Starmer has taken a public HIV test in an effort to destigmatise testing for the virus and to highlight HIV Testing Week.
The prime minister took a home test at 10 Downing Street alongside the soul singer Beverley Knight. “It’s really important to do it and I’m really pleased to be able to do it. It’s very easy, very quick,” he said.
Told by Richard Angell, the chief executive of the Terrence Higgins Trust, an HIV and sexual health charity, that he was thought to be the first prime minister of a G7, European or Nato nation to take a public HIV test, Starmer said he was surprised.
“Let’s try to encourage other leaders to do the same thing, because it’s really important, it’s easy, it’s convenient and it is much better to know,” he said.
About 107,000 people live with HIV in the UK, with about 4,700 thought to be unaware of their status.
During HIV Testing Week, which runs from 10-17 February, members of the public can order one of 20,000 free, confidential home tests that provide a result in 15 minutes.
Starmer has pledged to end new transmissions of HIV in England by 2030, and on World Aids Day last year he announced £27m for an expanded testing programme in NHS emergency departments.
Knight said: “Living with HIV today is a world away from the experience that my late best friend Tyrone endured in the early 2000s. People living with HIV can now easily know their status, can access effective treatment and live a long, healthy life. I wish this was the case for Ty.
“In his memory, I’m using my voice alongside the prime minister to make everyone aware of how easy it is to test. People need to hear the crucial message that thanks to effective medication people living with HIV can’t pass it on, so we can end this epidemic once and for all.”
When Prince Harry publicly took a live HIV test alongside Rihanna in 2016, the broadcast contributed to a 500% increase in the number of people requesting a test on the Terrence Higgins Trust website.
